President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will postpone a planned 30 percent tariff on Mexican goods, granting a 90-day extension for trade negotiations between the United States and Mexico. The tariff, which was set to take effect Friday, has been delayed following a morning phone call between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump explained the rationale behind the decision, citing the unique economic and security challenges shared between the two nations due to their shared border.
“The complexities of a Deal with Mexico are somewhat different than other Nations because of both the problems, and assets, of the Border,” Trump wrote. “We have agreed to extend, for a 90 Day period, the exact same Deal as we had for the last short period of time.”
While specifics of the renewed agreement remain vague, Trump claimed that Mexico has committed to eliminating unspecified “nontariff barriers,” a frequent sticking point in past negotiations. White House officials did not immediately clarify which barriers were being targeted.
The delay also comes amid broader tensions over immigration and drug trafficking. Trump said the two leaders reaffirmed their cooperation on border security, with a continued focus on combating illegal immigration and stemming the flow of fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.
The existing 25 percent tariff, imposed in March on a wide range of Mexican goods not covered by the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), will remain in place during the extended negotiation period. Trump originally introduced that tariff in response to the influx of fentanyl into the U.S., a crisis he has blamed on lax enforcement by Mexico.
Earlier this month, Trump threatened to raise the tariff to 30 percent on August 1 if talks didn’t yield progress. That threat aligned with broader tariff increases aimed at dozens of countries, particularly targeting sectors such as automobiles, steel, and aluminum.
Critics of Trump’s trade policy, including Democratic lawmakers and some economists, have accused him of inconsistency, pointing to past walk-backs on tariff deadlines. A running joke in Washington has turned the acronym “TACO” — Trump Always Chickens Out — into a shorthand among critics for the president’s pattern of threatening harsh trade penalties before stepping back.
Despite the criticism, the White House defended the decision, framing it as a strategic pause rather than a retreat.
“The president has always said he’s a dealmaker first,” one senior White House official said on background. “This gives both countries breathing room to finalize a stronger, broader agreement that benefits American workers and businesses.”
Still, Trump reiterated his tough stance in a separate Wednesday night post, insisting his Aug. 1 deadline “stands strong.” The contradiction left some observers wondering whether the tariff threat was ever meant to be enforced, or merely a tool to extract concessions at the negotiating table.
